Teams: Los Angeles Lakers, New Jersey Nets

TV Channel: NBC Channel 5

Review: (Lina Balciunas)

On the fourth day of practice in the 2002 NBA Finals came the fourth go-'round of questions about defending Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, but while the their one-two punch has done most of the damage to Lakers' opponents, the knockout has generally come from the team's role players. Robert Horry says this is by design and something that enables him to confidently take clutch shots, such as the game-winning buzzer-beater against the Kings in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

"Basically, Iím not a superstar; Iím not a little star. Iím just a guy that nobody pays a lot of attention to, so when the ball comes to me, I just let it go," Horry explained. "If I make it, big deal. I look good. If I miss it, it's like, why is he taking that shot anyway? I donít worry about it. I just take the shot because itís there."

Brian Shaw feels the Lakers role players hold the team together.

"I always use the analogy that you can go out and buy a pair of Air Jordan shoes that cost $200 and come in a nice, fancy box, and you can put them on and go out on the floor and play," Shaw said. "But if you don't have a shoestring inside the shoe, it doesn't matter if you're Kobe or Shaq, or whoever, you're going to twist your ankle, you're going to fall, and you're not going to have any support. So guys like myself and Robert (Horry) and 'Fish' (Derek Fisher) and Rick (Fox) and Devean (George) and the rest of the guys who play a supporting cast, we're the shoestring that holds the shoe together. They're the shoe, the main part of it, but we have to do our part."

While O'Neal and Bryant get the attention and will be the focal point of the legacy of these Lakers teams -- most likely going into the Hall of Fame, having their jersey numbers retired and the like -- history has shown there is room for remembrance and reverence for the role players.

"I think that's for the people who watch the games as fans. I think people have a lot of respect for guys who go out and work hard and play the game the right way," Fisher said. "In past eras and championship teams, some of the role players were the favorite guys. The Kurt Rambises, Michael Coopers, Norm Nixons and other guys. Year after year, it was those guys that people had a lot of respect for even though other guys got a lot of the credit. I think it's going to be hopefully the same for us, as we continue to be part of something special."